Ear protector



F. MAJ EWSKl 2,597,508

May 20, 1952 EAR PROTECTOR 2 SI-lEETSSl-IEET 1 Filed Nov. 50, 1949' 4 INVENTOR: FRANK MAJEWSKI ATT'YS y 20, 1952 I F. MAJEWSKI 2,597,508

EAR PROTECTOR Filed Nov. 30, 1949 2 SI-iEETS--SHEET 2 IN V EN TOR.

FRANK MAJEWSKI BY flh MMJZMM ATT'YS Patented May 20, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE;

EAR PROTECTOR Frank Majewski, Niles, 111.

Application November 30, 1949, Serial No. 130,239

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ear protectors.

The main objects of this invention are to provide a frame for carrying a suitable covering which is adapted to loosely envelop the ear, with clamping means thereon for engaging the back of the antihelix of the ear, whereby the protector will be held snugly against the head with covering enveloping and protecting the ear against the elements and cold; to provide a new and novel clamping means in such a device which lies wholly outside the ear; and to provide a device of this character which is simple in construction and operation and inexpensive-to manufacture.

An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device of my invention shown applied to the ear of a wearer, the method of attachment being shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the back of my device, a portion of the ear of the wearer being shown in dotted outline.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an exploded view of the device of the present invention.

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are fragmentary cross-sectional views taken on the lines 66, 1-1 and 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on the lines 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the frame I is oval shape and is of a size which will loosely envelop the ear of the wearer, as fully shown in Fig. 3. A suitable outside covering 2 and inside liner 3 are positioned on said frame and held in position by a clamping ring 4. This construction is well known in the art and readily available on the open market. It is quite similar to the construction of each ear muff shown in Patent No. 2,447,078 issued August 17, 1948.

My invention relates to the holding clamp for securing the muff to an ear and comprises an arcuately shaped, a C-shaped or curved cylindrical rod 5 having the upper portion thereof bent back upon itself, as shown in Fig. 2, in a substantially elongated U-shape whereby to form a pair of legs 6 and 7. The free end of leg 6 is flattened as at 8 and perforated.

The legs 6 and 1 of the clamp are secured to link arm 9, which is preferably constructed of fiat spring steel and bent back upon itself at its lower end, and indicated by the numeral ID, to encompass and. rigidly secure a portion of the leg I thereto. The link 9 also contains a perforation which is aligned with the perforation in the leg 6, whereby the leg 6 may be rigidly secured to the link 9 by any suitable means, such as by a rivet H.

The free end of link 9 is pivotally secured, loosely, to the upper end of vertically disposed fiat stifi link [2 by any suitable means, such as by a rivet l3 whereby the curved rod or clamp, 5 may swing laterally about the pivot l3.

The upper end of the ring 4 is provided with a wide portion l4 containing an elongated slot l5 whereby the lower end I6 of link l2 may be inserted therethrough and bent over upon itself to hingedly secure the link [2 to the ring 4. (See Fig. 3.)

It is to be especially noted that, see Fig. 3, the link arm 12 lies substantially in a vertical plane, while link arm 9 is in a plane diagonal thereto, because it is slightly bent to the right, as shown in Fig. 3, at a point just below the rivet pivot l3.

In operation, the frame I and its covering are held in the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1 and the holding clamp is positioned behind the ear. The lower end of the frame I being held by the fingers is then lifted slightly away from the side of the head and simultaneously moved rearwardly, in the direction of the arrow, until it covers the ear to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

It is now obvious that no part of the present construction enters the ear canal or depends upon the insertion of any part thereof into any part of the ear proper.

Although but one specific embodiment is herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An ear protector of the class described, comprising a frame of substantially oval shape adapted to loosely encompass the car, a covering therefor, a short link arm extending upwardly from and pivotally secured at its lower end to the upper central part of said frame, a second link arm pivotally secured at its upper end to the upper end of said first-mentioned link arm and depending therefrom, and a C-shaped holding clamp curved to fit behind the ear and 3 having a portion of its upper end bent upwardly and back upon itself in substantially U-shape, the legs of said U-shaped portion of said clamp rigidly secured to said last-mentioned link, the closed end of said U-shaped portion extending beyond said last-mentioned link.

2. An ear protector of the class described, comprising a frame of substantially oval shape adapted 'to loosely encompass the ear, a covering therefor :and a clamping ring having a wide portion at its upper end, a vertically extending short link arm extending upwardly from and hingedly secured at its lower end to said wide portion of said ring, a second short link arm pivotally secured at its upper end to the upper end vof said first-mentioned link and bent outwardly whereby to lie in a plane diagonal to the :plane of said first link, and an arcuately shaped clamping member, the upper end thereof being bent back upon itself in substantially U-shape, the U-shaped portion of said member lying transversely across the said second link arm and having its legs rigidly secured thereto, whereby the greater portion of said U-shaped portion extends beyond said second link, said clamping member being shiftable laterally about said second link arm pivot.

FRANK vMAJEWSKI.

REFERENCES CITED -The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 108,446 Wile Sept. 2, 1902 2,447,078 Maxant Aug. 1'7. 1948 

